Dawnbreak
by Giraffe227
Summary: Hey guys, this is my first fan fic! Our story opens 1 year after the war with Drago Bludfist, and Hiccup has just begun to feel comfortable in his new role as Chief. However, he still has a few trials to face, his first being way too scary and close to home for his liking! (First summary, please read). Rated T because I'm a little paranoid.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Welcome to the island of Berk, closer to the edge of the world than any Viking would like. Sure, no one has actually _been_ to the edge of the world, but it was so far south of, well, anything, that it was fairly safe to claim so. Located twelve days north of Hopeless and a few degrees south of Freezing to Death, you'll find us smack-bang in the middle of the Meridian of Misery in the barbaric Archipelago. Interesting names, I know. However, it is the inhabitants of this tiny island that are really interesting. Sure, we've got the usual sheep and yak herds and chickens farms, but there is one particular animal on this island that we are renowned for….dragons.

As the newest and still fairly 'green' Chief of Berk, Hiccup seemed like a rather odd choice for candidacy, let alone being the one who actually held the title. However, it was his courage, determination, along with his dragon, Toothless (now the Alpha dragon), that gave the residents of Berk all that they needed. Although, his courage, determination, and even Toothless, fled when he realised the task that he was now facing.

"I should do what?" Hiccup exclaimed after Gobber and his mother, Valka, finished their discussion. It had been fairly one-sided really, in fact, these were the first words Hiccup had spoken since the two of them had asked to speak with him after his morning meeting with the Council.

"Son, you've been Chief for just over a year now. You've repaired the damage inflicted by Drago, its time you finally made it official. The village will start asking questions if you don't." Gobber said, as if their explanation hadn't been thorough enough. Make what official, you may ask? Well, Gobber and Valka thought it finally time for Hiccup to propose to Astrid.

"You're of age, son, you don't need any more stress with the villagers needling you. If you don't do something soon, you'll have the other mothers in town trying to marry their daughters off to you." Valka interjected, before Gobber started again.

"I just don't see Astrid taking too kindly to it. She's only just managed to call me her boyfriend in the last year and a half, when we've been seeing each other going on six years now. I think the village would prefer it if the Chief's head wasn't severed by an axe blow so soon after Dad…" Hiccup trailed off. At that moment Gobber and Valka knew they had Hiccup cornered, and oh did he know it as well. Of course, Stoick would have wanted an announcement as soon as Hiccup had been named Chief a year ago. Hiccup looked at Toothless, who had until this moment been entertaining himself with Cloudjumper's company. He smiled as Toothless grin as he walked over to Hiccup.

"Well then bud, shall we go see Astrid? I think I'll need your help." With the meaning up Hiccup's words suddenly dawning on him, Toothless shrunk his head and gurgled quietly, and suddenly galloped out of the Great Hall. Toothless had a fairly rough idea of what was going on, and he did not want to be caught between the two. Hiccup ran after him, stopping at the top step. "For the Alpha of all dragons, you're a big scaredy cat!" he yelled at Toothless disappeared round the corner.

"Scared of what?" said a voice from above, accompanied by a very familiar squawk. Hiccup knew it was Astrid as soon as she spoke, and yet he still prayed to Odin and the gods that it wasn't her. Alas, he wasn't so lucky.

"Astrid! Hi, hi…..Astrid hi!" Hiccup stuttered, cursing himself mentally. Astrid knew he stuttered when he was hiding something. She dismounted Stormfly, and raised her eyebrows expectantly as she turned and faced him. Hiccup turned a glorious shade of red as he racked his brain for an excuse. "Um, oh, um crap! I uh, uh, need to go to the um, to my workshop! Yes, to my workshop!" Hiccup gave Astrid a quick kiss on the cheek and bolted down the steps, his metal leg chinking every time it hit the stones.

Astrid turned, processing what had just happened. Valka quietly walked out of the Great Hall, a silent witness to what had just transpired, as Cloudjumper followed silently behind. She put her arm around Astrid's shoulders as they both watched Hiccup disappear from their sight. "Don't push him love, he'll tell you soon enough," she said to Astrid, who sighed in reply.


	2. Chapter 2

Hiccup ran inside the door, slamming it behind him before, as an afterthought, bolting it shut. He did _not_ need one of Astrid's interrogations at the moment, for he would surely crumble into a heap of despair. Leaning against the door and panting heavily as he caught his breath, he finally noticed Eret inside, giving him quite the odd look. "Astrid," Hiccup managed to say between breaths.

Understanding crossed the ex-dragon trapper's face. "Ah! Fighting again?" Eret asked.

"Well….no actually. I'm trying to keep a surprise from her, which, as you know, is no mean feat," Hiccup said as he walked over to the coals and stoked them so their heat increased. Eret, and the rest of the village, knew what happened when Hiccup had tried to surprise Astrid for her birthday only a few months ago. Eret had settled into the village life really well, and had even caved slightly to Ruffnut only recently.

"Haha! Oh yes, she found out after interrogating Ruffnut didn't she? I tell you, Ruffnut's very stubborn when she wants to be, look at where I am now, and quite the little sneakster too! But when Astrid got a hold of her…" Eret shivered as he turned back to the saddle he had been tinkering with. Hiccup shivered as well, as he could still clearly remember Astrid's reaction. Sure, she enjoyed the present, but Hiccup hadn't been able to move his arm for three days. He winced at the memory.

The two of them were silent for a while, Hiccup designing a few ring ideas on the other side of the workshop as Eret pulled and cut the leather saddle. Eventually though, the silence got too much for Eret. "So….did you want to tell me what's going on?"

Hiccup considered for a moment, and realised that Eret was probably one of the few people that could keep a secret from Astrid. And if he promised not to tell Ruffnut, then Hiccup wouldn't have to worry if Astrid got her hands on either of the twins. There was no way he could tell Fishlegs, or, gods forbid, _Snotlout_ of all people. "I'm proposing to Astrid," Hiccup whispered. "But, if I do it wrong, it'll be 'Bye Chief, have a nice afterlife in Valhalla' for me."

Eret chuckled quietly. "That could prove to be very problematic for the village now wouldn't it," he said between chuckles. Hiccup smiled in spite of himself. "Well, I don't know Astrid as well as you, but my guess is, you'll have to do something grand in order for her to even forget being angry at you." Eret said.

"Yes, well, that's the plan," Hiccup said. He walked over to a barrel and pulled out a small lump of Gronckle iron.

Eret suddenly had an idea. "I know! Why don't you build a house?"

Hiccup dropped the Gronckle iron in surprise, and it rolled across the floor to Eret's foot. "What?! If I do something like that, she'd kill me on the spot!" Hiccup's mind unfortunately then decided to present a picture of Astrid running at him, swinging her axe and yelling.

Eret shook his head. "Think about it, and you'll be able to persuade her. Besides, once she realises you're dead serious, I don't think she'll mind. And, it would also save the hassle of dealing with the construction and organising a wedding at the same time if you waited until after proposing to do so. Two birds, one stone."

Hiccup could see some sense in Eret's plan, and his own mind became to come up with other little ideas to go along with it. Maybe this would work. He put away the Gronckle iron, and waved to Eret as he left. "Thanks Eret!"

Toothless peered around the corner of the workshop. Realising no danger (Astrid) was in sight; he bounced from his hiding place and knocked Hiccup on his stomach. "Toothless! Where have you been? Hiding? You big baby." Hiccup said, laughing. Toothless batted playfully at Hiccup's arms. "So now that any possible 'danger' is nowhere to be seen, all is good with the world aye?" Toothless laughed his dragon laugh, the sound resonating from his throat. Hiccup could barely remember a time now where he didn't have his best friend. He sat up, and Toothless, almost comically, wagged his tail and pointed his nose out to the ocean. "Do you wanna go for a fly? Do you? Do you?" Hiccup teased. Toothless bounced from foot to foot, and shot a plasma blast into the sky. "Alright! Alright! Let's go bud."


	3. Chapter 3

Hiccup returned home later that night. He could smell Valka's cooking as he and Toothless landed in his room. He walked down the stairs, the smell of stew enticing him. Valka humming away quietly as she ladled the stew into two wooden bowls that Hiccup had made long ago.

"So…" Valka began. Hiccup sighed and threw himself into a chair.

"Alright! I guess you and Gobber are right. Dad would have been on my case as soon as I had been named Chief. I mean, he was already calling Astrid his daughter in-law a year and a half ago," Hiccup said, remembering many a time when Stoick would boast to any villager who would listen. "Actually, I spoke to Eret today, and he gave me the beginnings of an idea," Hiccup continued. He told Valka about the house, and how she had to promise not to breathe a word to Astrid or anyone else.

Valka clasped her hands together and danced from foot to foot excitedly. "My baby boy is all grown up!" she exclaimed. Hiccup laughed as he hugged his mother. She twirled him around the dining table, too excited to sit down.

They laughed as they sat down in their chairs. Valka had swung Hiccup around the dining room and through the kitchen at least twice. Hiccup talked excitedly about ideas for proposing and the house, with Valka interjecting every now and again with different ideas. It was well into the night when they finished brainstorming. "You, mother, need your sleep if you are to be ready for whatever the young ones and the twins throw at you at the Academy tomorrow. Get some rest, I'm not far behind," Hiccup said, standing up as he hugged his mother. She smiled, walking up the stairs.

"Hiccup?" Hiccup turned around and looked at his mother, halfway up the stairs. "I'm so happy for you love."

Toothless, finished consuming his fish bucket, pounced over to Hiccup, who had set up his paper and charcoal on the dining table. He made his muffled gurgling sound, asking Hiccup a wordless question. Hiccup smiled, and scratched Toothless under the chin. "Get some sleep bud, I'll be here most of the night," he said. Toothless curled up next to Hiccup's chair, never leaving his best friend.

It was into the wee hours of the morning when Hiccup finally felt satisfied with the plans for the house he planned to build for himself and Astrid. He actually felt confident now in his plan. He was so excited, that even though he now lay on his bed, waiting for sleep to take him, he couldn't shut his eyes. Just before the Terrible Terrors began their normal wake up call, Hiccup ran down the stairs, throwing on a new tunic in the process. He and Toothless were out the door before Valka had even taken two steps out of her bedroom, just catching the end of Toothless' tail exiting the doorway.

Hiccup and Toothless deciding to do a morning patrol around Berk. It was good every once in a while for Hiccup to do so. It made him still feel like he was a part of the ranks of the Academy, even though he hadn't stepped foot inside in about six months. Chiefly duties had taken their toll, so Astrid and Valka shared head-trainer roles. Gustav had joined the senior ranks, so it was he that Hiccup saw patrolling the skies as well in the morning. Hiccup brought Toothless just under Fanghook, Gustav's dragon.

"Morning Gustav! How are you this morning?" Hiccup asked. Gustav, realising that it was Hiccup, sat up straighter in his saddle.

"Uh, good morning Hiccup! I mean, Chief! Good morning Chief!" he blurted out.

Hiccup chuckled. "It's alright Gustav, you can still call me Hiccup."

Gustav breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank the gods; I thought I might get in trouble there. It pretty quiet out here, I'm going to head out as far as Changewing Island before classes start."

Hiccup waved his goodbye as he turned back to town, Gustav heading in the other direction. Toothless circled once, before they landed in front of the Ingersson household. On any other given day, it would have been Fishlegs that Hiccup was looking for. But today, Hiccup was actually looking for his father, Dogald. After fighting dragons became a thing of the past, Doglad had become a very big name in the dragon-specific construction field. It was said that he ran a close second to Hiccup in terms of creativity and ingenuity when it came to dragons. Hiccup knocked quietly on the front door, aware that Fishlegs could answer the door.

Thankfully, Dogald answered the door. "Ah, good morning Hiccup! Fishlegs is still in bed, shall I wake him for ya?" he asked. Hiccup shook his head.

"Actually sir, it was you I wanted to speak with. Can you step outside for a moment?" he asked. Dogald shut the door quietly behind him. "I'm sorry, I just can't trust Fishlegs with this just yet. He'll cave if Astrid grills him." Hiccup said quietly.

Dogald nodded in agreement, and Hiccup proceeded to fill him in on his plan. "…But this is top secret, okay? Only you and the workers can know what this is for," Hiccup said. "I'll speak to Spitelout so that this doesn't reach Snotlout's ears, for he's the only one with a close tie to the Academy. Word shouldn't get out that way." And with that, Hiccup handed Doglad the blueprints, and jumped on Toothless' back. They launched into the sky, with Hiccup's shoulders feeling just a little lighter.


End file.
